The first top predators to walk on land were not afraid to bite off more than they could chew, a University of Toronto Mississauga study has found. Graduate student and lead author Kirstin Brink along with Professor Robert Reisz from U of T Mississauga’s Department of Biology suggest that Dimetrodon, a carnivore that walked on land between 298 million and 272 million years ago, was the first terrestrial vertebrate to develop serrated ziphodont teeth.

Bats – winged creatures that hunt in the night. For some, it’s the stuff of nightmares. But for new U of T Mississauga professor John Ratcliffe, bats are one of nature’s wonders. Ratcliffe, a former PhD student at U of T Mississauga, has traveled the world to further the study of bats and echolocation.

Students from the University of Toronto Mississauga have been named among the top ten finalists in the Council of Ontario Universities Mental Health 2.0 campaign. The campaign uses social media to promote positive change in mental health and remove the stigma associated with mental illness.

The University of Toronto has argued its way back into the top spot at the 2014 North American Debating Championships. Kaya Ellis from U of T Mississauga and Louis Tsilivis from U of T’s St George campus pooled their powers of persuasion to finish in first place ahead other prominent universities from Canada and the United States.

Bigger really is better – at least it was for early prehistoric life. A NASA research group featuring University of Toronto Mississauga professor Marc Laflamme has helped to explain why some prehistoric organisms evolved into larger animals.

Lina Zahreddine, master of social work candidate, will facilitate a group discussion for parents wanting to share their advice or questions about raising children in a supportive environment. Includes parenting strategies, tips and resources.

New director at Blackwood Gallery

The Blackwood Gallery at U of T Mississauga has appointed Christine Shaw as its new Director/Curator. Shaw will also join U of T Mississauga as a lecturer in the Department of Visual Studies, having previously served as program and outreach manager at the Canadian Art Foundation and project director for Musagetes. (Photo by: Barb Solowan)

Biology Department appoints bat, echolocation specialist

The U of T Mississauga has welcomed assistant professor John Ratcliffe to its Department of Biology. Ratcliffe, a former PhD student of U of T Mississauga, has spent the past six years as a postdoc and then an assistant professor at the University of Southern Denmark. His research has focused on neuroethology and ecology of echolocating bats. Ratcliffe will teach a third-year course in sensory biology and a fourth-year course in the evolution of animal cognition.

The Mississauga News reported on Chemical and Physical Sciences associate professor Virginijus Barzda’s presentation on a journey into the living cell at the Royal Canadian Institute for the Advancement of Science lecture series.

The appointment of Christine Shaw as Director and Curator of Blackwood Gallery was mentioned in Canadian Art.

The Star newspaper featured a profile on Olivia Chow written by Stephen Scharper from Anthropology.

Professor Josee Johnston from Sociology talks about the influence social norms have on our tastes in The Star.

The Mississauga News reported on the City of Mississauga likely to continue the U-Pass that allows UTM students to take unlimited MiWay rides.

Institute for Management and Innovation researcher Sonia Kang was quoted on the TVO Parents website talking about children’s exposure to race and racism.

Safe City Mississauga held its annual conference at U of T Mississauga as reported in the Mississauga News.

A study by Biology professor Robert Reisz and graduate Kirstin Brink into the evolution of teeth in the oldest land predators was reported in various publications including Yahoo! News.

U of T Mississauga Psychology professor Glenn Schellenberg’s study of the effect of music on children’s IQs was reported in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Kelly Hannah-Moffat, director of the Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies was quoted in The Huffington Post about Correctional Services Canada’s response to a report on Canadian prisons.

Ottawa Citizen featured a column by Peter Loewen, assistant professor Political Science, about the Fair Elections Act.

Lisa Kramer from Management talked about behavioral lessons that can be learnt from the Dilbert comic series, inPsychology Today.

Professor Rhonda McEwen from the Institute of Communication, Culture and Information Technology had her study into the online information practices of people grieving, commemorating and mourning a loved one reported in The Huffington Post and Tech Vibes.

A study by Peter Loewen from Political Science about the genetic impacts on attitudes towards dishonest behavior was reported in the Harvard Business Review.

Rima Berns-McGowan, a sessional instructor in the Department of Historical Studies, contributed to the CBC discussion about Prime Minister Harper’s speech in Israel.

A study by Chemistry and Physical Sciences professor Marc Laflamme into the evolution of larger animals was reported in R & D magazine.